Limiting a child’s contact with the noncustodial parent

As technology continues to advance, Illinois parents who do not have primary custody have more ways to keep in contact with their children, such as text messages, Skype and FaceTime. While the custodial parent may not want the noncustodial parent to have contact with the child outside of the allotted visitation time, courts will rarely block the noncustodial parent from using this technology to have contact with the children.

One reason a custodial parent may wish to block the other parent from having constant contact is because of just how messy the divorce might have become. However, while the custodial parent may no longer like the other parent, blocking the noncustodial parent from being involved in the children’s daily lives can actually be harmful.

There are situations where blocking the noncustodial parent from having daily, unsupervised contact via phone, email or other forms of communication is justified. For example, limiting contact for a parent who has a history of domestic violence or abuse may be best, especially if it puts the children at risk. Further, if the parent is using communication to harass or manipulate the children, blocking communication can be beneficial.

In many cases, having both parents remain involved in a child’s daily life is often in the best interest of the child. However, if a custodial parent believes that the noncustodial parent is using multiple forms of communication to harass or abuse the child, a family law attorney should be contacted. Because custodial parents cannot outright block a noncustodial parent’s access to the child via communication, the attorney may assist with requesting a modification to the custody order that prevents the noncustodial parent from having contact outside the scheduled parenting time. If limited contact is already included in the custody order but the noncustodial parent exceeds or abuses it, the attorney may go to court to enforce the order.